If you think the job market is tough on regular shmoes, here’s a sign that it’s tough on pro hockey players.

Craig Rivet started last season as captain of the Buffalo Sabres and after spending all summer looking for a new NHL job after not being re-signed by Columbus, Rivet has found another hockey job… In the ECHL.

The Elmira Jackals signed Rivet to play at the NHL’s version of AA-level hockey and expect him to be in the lineup this weekend. It’s not the first time we’ve seen NHL players take a job with another league. We see guys jump to the KHL or other European pro leagues all the time. Taking a job with a low-level minor league team, however, is rare.

For Rivet it shows how quickly things can go off the rails. After all, the guy was playing in the NHL just last season. Granted he was playing for the Blue Jackets, but that’s still NHL-level talent to keep up with. It’s a dramatic fall out of the top league but for Rivet, it’s a chance for him to keep playing and stay in shape in hopes of getting another look from a NHL team.